Sunday, June 6, 2010

All dogs are irritating when they bark, but small dogs are notoriously annoying. Because we were looking for ultrasonic pet trainer to suit all breeds, small and large, we decided to try a hand held, inexpensive, bark control device. We ordered the PetZoom Sonic Pet Trainer that costs $20 plus shipping and handling. You get a bonus nail groomer with your order (which they claim is valued at $19.95). Your other option is to buy PetZoom from Amazon for $16.98 a small saving that does not include the nail groomer, but if you're a Prime member you also don't pay shipping.

The PetZoom Sonic Pet Trainer claims to be safe, harmless, and effective, a 20 ft. range, and to work on all dogs and cats.

We tested it on the dogs. The word miracle comes to mind. As with all sonic pet trainers, this one is inaudible by the human ear, so it's really shocking to push a button and have all your dogs instantly stop barking, especially because you don't hear a thing. Our dalmatian-shorthaired pointer mix, stops barking, bows her head slightly, and then resumes what she was doing. The little chiweenie only stops barking showing no other signs of acknowledgment, and the tiny teacup chihuahua instantly stops barking and stares quizzically at the person handling the pet training device.

This ultrasonic bark control device is a bit bulky, yet still small enough to fit in a pocket. We're trying to come up with a smart contraption to keep it on us at all times (perhaps some super glue and sting so that it can be worn over the neck at all times).

In brief, ultrasonic bark control devices are intended to halt trying barking by emitting an annoying tone that only your dog can hear. The tone is the deterrent. The effectiveness, based on the reviews we read, debatable for some.

We checked around and discovered one more ultrasonic bark control device similar to the PetZoom and that is the As Seen on TV BarkOff training aid. The BarkOff costs only $10 plus shipping and handling, half the price of the PetZoom. I should also mention, that you can get BarkOff from Amazon for $9.99 plus shipping. Similarly with the PetZoom, the BarkOff gets both raving reviews and disappointment. We lucked out, all our barking dogs instantly seized, but apparently it does not work on all dogs. For the price, I recommend you give it a shot. It's better than losing your mind or upsetting your neighborhood with your barking dogs when there are dog bark control devices such as these in the market.

We love the fact that this type of sonic pet trainers work on all breeds and were terribly relieved to eliminate the high pitched bark small dogs make, as were our neighbors. We will continue our research and we will test our PetZoom on the cats too. Meanwhile, I suggest you don't wait. You don't have much to lose but you have potentially a lot to gain, as it was in our case. Stop barking dogs.